An Overview

 A carpet is a floor covering textile craft usually of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. In middle age the pile was made from wool, but today craftsmen are using synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon or polyester are often used, as these are less expensive than wool. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carpets are used for many purposes as making the room look attractive, a comfortable place to sit or for children play, used as a yoga or prayer mat, insulating feet from cold tile. Carpets are used in industrial and commercial establishments such as retail stores and hotels and in private homes. Today factories mass-producing carpets in different variety, in terms of price and quality levels for commercial buildings to costly hand-knotted wool rugs that are used in private homes of wealthy families.

 

Types of Carpet

 Woven Carpet

The carpet is produced on a loom quite similar to woven fabric. The pile can be plush or Berber. Plush carpet is a cut pile and Berber carpet is a loop pile. There are new styles of carpet combining the two styles called cut and loop carpeting. Normally many colored yarns are used and this process is capable of producing intricate patterns from predetermined designs. These carpets are usually the most expensive due to the relatively slow speed of the manufacturing process. These are very famous in India, Iran and other Asian countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needle felt

These carpets are more technologically advanced. Needle felts are produced by intermingling and felting individual synthetic fibers using barbed and forked needles forming an extremely durable carpet. These carpets are normally found in commercial settings such as hotels and restaurants where there is frequent traffic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knotted Carpet 

Knotting by hand is most prevalent in oriental rugs and carpets. Kashmir carpets are also hand-knotted. Pile carpets, like flat carpets, can be woven on a loom. Both vertical and horizontal looms have been used in the production of European and oriental carpets. The warp threads are set up on the frame of the loom before weaving begins. A number of weavers may work together on the same carpet. A row of knots is completed and cut. The knots are secured with (usually one to four) rows of weft. The warp in woven carpet is usually cotton and the weft is jute. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are several styles of knotting, but the two main types of knot are the symmetrical and asymmetrical. Kashmir is known for hand knotted carpets of silk or wool.

 

Tufted

These are carpets that have their pile injected into a backing material, which is itself then bonded to a secondary backing made of a woven hessian weave or a manmade alternative to provide stability. The pile is often sheared in order to achieve different textures. This is the most common method of manufacturing of domestic carpets for floor covering purposes in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Others

A flatweave carpet is created by interlocking warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. Types of oriental flatwoven carpet include kilim, soumak, plain weave, and tapestry weave. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A hooked rug is a simple type of rug handmade by pulling strips of cloth such as wool or cotton through the meshes of a sturdy fabric such as burlap. This type of rug is now generally made as a handicraft. The process of creating a hooked rug is called Rug hooking Unlike woven carpets, embroidery carpets' are not formed on a loom. Their pattern is established by the application of stitches to a cloth (often linen) base. 

 

Materials and Fibers

Carpet can be formulated from many single or blended natural and synthetic fibres. Fibres are chosen for durability, appearance, ease of manufacture, and cost. In terms of scale of production, the dominant yarn constructions are polyamides (nylons) and polypropylene with an estimated 90% of the commercial market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of regularly used materials are: Nylon, Polypropylene, Wool and wool-blends, Polyester and Acrylic etc.

 

Trend

Whether it may be day to day use or in terms of luxury or cinematic world. Carpets have a wide variety of use. There are many stories about magic carpets, legendary flying carpets that can be used to transport people who are on it instantaneously or quickly to their destination. Disney's Aladdin depicts a magic carpet found by Aladdin and Abu in the Cave of Wonders while trying to find Genie's lamp. Aladdin and Jasmine ride on him to go on a ride around the world. In film festivals like Cannes film festival, Oscar or Filmfare, VIP celebrities walk on the red-carpet. It’s an expression which means to welcome a guest lavishly and handsomely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might have heard many expressions like "snug as a bug in a rug" means "wrapped up tight, warm, and comfortable", "pull the rug out from under (someone)", meaning to "suddenly deprive of important support", "lie like a rug" means "to tell lies shamelessly", "pull the rug out (from under someone)" means "to make someone or someone's plans fall through" or "to upset someone's plans". These are some commonly used expression with reference to carpet.